The art of a pure point guard is a beautiful thing&-take, for instance, Steve Nash. He dazzles fans not just with his scoring potential but his selfless passing, and as a result, makes those around him better. Such a player who thinks pass-first and shoot-second is hard to come by in the America East.
After freshman B.J. Bailey transferred to Lehigh University, the Boston University men’s basketball team went through the 2009-10 campaign without a pure point guard. Some argue the Terriers were without a point guard at all, as seniors Tyler Morris and Corey Lowe both took turns at the point, after each played shooting guard behind graduates Matt Wolff and Marques Johnson the year before.
While Lowe did average 4.3 assists per game, he also had an assist to turnover ratio of 1.0, a far cry from acceptable numbers for a pure point guard. While BU will not be receiving the next Steve Nash, BU coach Patrick Chambers has received verbal commitment from two point guards for the 2010-11 campaign, both of whom are pass-first players.
One of those players is Henry Gaskins, high school teammate of fellow newcomers Dominic Morris and Travis Robinson.
Gaskins, nicknamed H.J., stands at 5-foot-9 and weighs in at a lean 145 pounds. During a preseason interview, Chambers mentioned that Gaskins will be a walk-on for the Terriers, though nothing is official.
Gaskins, according to ESPN.com, has a Scouts Grade of 72 and is ranked as the 214th best point guard in his class. Due to NCAA rules prohibiting coaches from speaking about unsigned recruits, Chambers was not available for comment, but Gaskins’ high school coach Jason Polykoff had plenty to say.
“I would say that he would be considered a pure point guard in that he is a pass-first player,” Polykoff said. “He has great vision. He has the ability to get the ball down to the post and put it in the right spot for the big man. When running the floor, he does a good job of finding the right guy, getting the ball up the court.”
One of Gaskins’ greatest strengths is his basketball IQ, which both Polykoff and ESPN.com Recruiting Coordinator Reggie Rankin have noticed.
“Henry is a pure point guard with a good basketball IQ and good court vision,” Rankin said on the BU recruiting page. “He can make open shots out to the stripe and is excellent on the defensive end with terrific ball pressure.”
Polykoff goes on to mention the effort that Gaskins puts in everyday.
“He is a very smart player,” Polykoff said. “He’s a very hard working player. When Coach Chambers asks him to do something in practice, he’s going to go and give 110 percent. He did that every day in practice for us at Friends’ Central and I’m sure it will only get better at BU. He is somebody who is going to give you the effort. He is going to work hard.
He also has a very high basketball IQ, so he is going to pick up whatever Coach Chambers asks of him right away, and that is something you can’t really teach.”
The Terriers were fifth in the conference this season in turnovers with 13.5 per game, many of those attributed to a lack of a solid passing point guard. Gaskins should provide Chambers a solid option off the bench should fellow soon-to-be Terrier point guard D.J. Irving or junior transfer Matt Griffin be unavailable.
Gaskins’ greatest weakness is his size, which makes it hard for him to get all the way to the hoop, Polykoff said. Nevertheless, he has developed as a shooter during his time at Friends’ Central and will knock down the open bucket when given the opportunity.
“He has a terrific jump shot that he has been working on since he got to Friends’ Central,” Polykoff said. “He ended up being a very good 3-point shooter for us this year. He is a confident player. He is someone who wants the ball and wants to shoot the foul shots at the end of the game.”
It’s not every day that high school teammates and longtime friends get to play collegiate basketball at the same school. The thought of playing with Robinson and Morris may have been the clinching factor for Gaskins’ decision.
“I know they are very excited about it,” Polykoff said when asked about the realization of the three playing together. “They don’t consider each other friends. They consider each other brothers.”
While at Friends’ Central, H.J. served as the vocal leader for his team. Look for him to continue that leadership as he moves to Commonwealth Avenue next season.
“He’s also very smart, very bright,” Polykoff said. “BU is a very good school; without basketball he could have gotten into BU no problem. Academics are big for him. He’s a natural leader. He’s not much of a ra-ra leader. He’s more of the type of guy that if you’re not doing something the right way or if you’re not working hard enough, he will say “come on, pick it up. Come on guys. Let’s do it.’ He’s more of a laid-back leader, but he will let people know if he doesn’t think they are doing the right thing.”
